Chapter 239: Chapter 227: Locking Onto the Suspect in Just One Day, That’s Too Fast

Dogs don’t have the same rich facial expressions as humans, but people can still sense their emotional changes through their reactions.

With Tiger Stripes, for example, all it took was for him to shrink his neck and Shen Xin would know he’d done something wrong.

Even though there was no affection icon above this old dog’s head, Shen Xin could still sense joy in its eyes.

It was old, and its memory might have been failing, but some things were etched into its mind forever.

Shen Xin reached out and gently stroked the old dog’s head.

It didn’t nuzzle his palm.

It was no longer young, past the age of craving human affection.

Shen Xin turned, went to his car, and brought back some tasty food.

He still hadn’t used up the expense fund for Tiger Stripes and the others.

It was a can of dog food, full of thick broth and chunks of meat. The old dog just sniffed it. Only after Shen Xin pushed it closer, gesturing for it to eat, did it stick out its tongue for a few licks.

Seeing this reaction, Shen Xin was even more certain that this was a very old dog.

It had reached an age where its appetite was poor and it could barely eat.

It looked up, its cloudy eyes conveying a look of gratitude.

Having lived so long, it was able to accurately convey what it wanted to express.

The affection icon still hadn’t appeared above its head.

Shen Xin didn’t mind.

He figured its situation was probably similar to Loki’s.

’My talent is still working, it’s just that this old dog already has a master in its heart.’

’And when the affection icon does appear, it’ll probably start with several bars already filled.’

As he was feeding the dog, an electric scooter approached from a distance and stopped at the gate.

"Officer Lai, what brings you here?"

The newcomer had to be Mao Yanru.

Shen Xin stood up and sized up Mao Yanru.

She wore high-heeled leather boots, flesh-colored leggings that gave the illusion of bare legs, a hip-hugging skirt, and a long down jacket left open to reveal a tight, deep-purple, fine-knit sweater, showing off her slightly plump figure.

With her wide hips, she had a classic pear-shaped figure.

She was fairly tall, with a head of big, chestnut-colored waves.

Just as Lai Yong had said, she was quite pretty, especially with her alluring, almond-shaped eyes that held a certain charm.

But she was two years older than Han Xiaolong, which would make her 41 this year. The skin on her neck was already showing signs of age, and her face was covered in a thick layer of makeup.

Her style of dress also seemed to fit the wellness shop she ran.

In front of the police, Mao Yanru was a little flustered. After parking her scooter, she asked who Shen Xin and his companions were.

Lai Yong made the introductions and finished by saying, "Mao Yanru, we’re planning to reopen the investigation into Han Xiaolong’s case. Officer Shen and his colleague have come to ask you some more questions. Just tell them the truth."

At the mention of reopening the investigation, Mao Yanru’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

It was a reaction that suggested she had been disappointed many times before and was no longer hopeful.

But she still nodded, turned to open the door, and, carrying a takeout container, invited the three of them inside to talk. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The shop wasn’t large. A few massage beds were lined against one wall, while a table on the other side was covered in essential oils and herbal foot soak packets.

Shen Xin wasn’t interested in any of that. He pointed to the old dog outside and asked if it was Han Xiaolong’s.

Mao Yanru nodded. "That’s right. It’s the dog Xiaolong raised. I saw that Aunt Luo was getting on in years and couldn’t manage, so I brought it here to look after. It can also help watch the shop for me."

Shen Xin then asked how old the dog was.

"Oh, he’s not young."

Mao Yanru calculated in her head for a moment. "He must be fourteen or fifteen years old. I remember when I divorced and came back to the village, Xiaolong had already had him for several years."

Shen Xin was taken aback.

Fourteen or fifteen years old was truly ancient for a dog.

Shen Xin said, "Here’s the thing. I have a request. I was wondering if you could entrust this dog to me. We might need him for the investigation."

"Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him. When the investigation is over, I’ll bring him back."

Mao Yanru put down her chopsticks and looked from Shen Xin to Lai Yong in surprise.

"What do you need a dog for?"

She was confused.

’Aren’t you reopening the investigation?’

Mao Yanru looked to Lai Yong, her eyes asking for an explanation.

Lai Yong silently turned his head and looked away.

’Don’t ask me,’ he thought. ’I’d like to know, too.’

Back in town, all he did was ask about the dog. When he met Luo Limei, he only asked about the dog. And now he wanted to take the dog with him.

He’d certainly never seen a case solved this way before.

"Well... okay. If you really want him, you can just take him. He’s pretty old, probably doesn’t have much longer to live anyway."

Mao Yanru glanced through the glass at the motionless old dog outside.

"Thank you." Shen Xin stood up. "Alright then, let’s exchange contact information. We’ll be in touch if anything comes up."

Watching Mao Yanru eat her malatang made Shen Xin realize he was hungry too.

He’d been running around all morning and hadn’t had a chance to eat.

Mao Yanru dazedly recited her phone number, then asked quizzically, "Aren’t you going to ask me about the case?"

’Go on, ask already!’

"That’s not urgent."

Shen Xin wasn’t in a hurry to question her about the case and get influenced by someone else’s preconceived notions.

For example, if he asked Mao Yanru who she suspected was the killer.

Shen Xin wanted to first build a rapport with the old dog, try to identify the killer that way, and then build the investigation around the suspect.

Besides, Shen Xin believed that even if he asked all the questions again, it was unlikely he’d uncover any new, useful information.

Liu Jie and his team’s investigation had been meticulous; they probably hadn’t missed anything.

Completely bewildered, Mao Yanru saw the three men out, watching as Shen Xin led the old dog away.

The old dog stopped and turned its head to look back at Mao Yanru.

"He’s saying goodbye to you," Shen Xin said.

Mao Yanru just grunted in acknowledgment.

In her eyes, it was just a dog.